​The Wonders of Yew
Slide talk ​​​with Fred Hageneder
​with live harp music

​This is an event dedicated to the remarkable story of the oldest living things in Europe and their endangered future. The yew is one of the most versatile life forms on earth – botanically rich and intriguing.
The story of the yew has a rich cultural and historical background – it was the Tree of Life, the tree in the Garden of Eden and the original Christmas Tree.
Yet, the British obsession with using yew for the medieval longbow led to the destruction of yew forests across continental Europe because the wood was superior.
Today, the mass destruction of yews overseas means that the UK is a Noah’s Ark for the conservation of ancient yews worldwide. Eighty to eighty five per cent of these grow in British churchyards, where the Church is the guardian and custodian of this ancient heritage.

Fred Hageneder is a recognised authority on ethnobotany, and a founder member of the Ancient Yew Group. He has given presentations at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, the National Museum of Wales, Snowdonia National Park Environmental Studies Centre, Wakehurst Place Millenium Seedbank Centre, the National Arboretum Westonbirt, and at various ecological conferences in Germany, Spain and Turkey. His books include: The Spirit of Trees: Science, Symbiosis and Inspiration (Floris Books, 2001), Yew – A History (The History Press, 2007), and Yew (Botanical Series; Reaktion 2013).